La Verne golf pulls one over Occidental

by Matt Paulson
Special to the Campus Times

After struggling early in conference play with a lackluster performance against Pomona-Pitzer, it seems that the University of La Verne golf team has found its swing.

The Leopards fired a one-over-par team total of 289 at Brookside Golf Course in a dual match against Occidental Thursday, March 4.

The sum is the lowest turned in by any Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squad in the 17 conference dual matches this year.

It surpasses the previous total by two strokes, turned in twice by Redlands at home. In fact, only Redlands and La Verne have broken 300 this season.

“We’ve gone from as low as we can get,” head coach Rex Huigens said. “It was sort of gut check time. They have responded well.”

Sophomore Doug Green, after losing his spot in the starting six two weeks ago for the first time as a Leopard, battled back to shoot a one-under 71, tying for the medalist position with senior Joey Murray.

“(Huigens) sat me out to get my act together,” Green said. “I’ve never been sat out in my whole life. I just felt I needed a humbling experience to really kick me into gear. I wasn’t working hard enough.”

Scores of 73 by senior Joe Skovron and 74 by junior Andrew Garcia rounded out the Leopard onslaught, which saw ULV swamping the Tigers by a more-than-convincing 41 strokes.

“We didn’t just have one guy go crazy,” Huigens said. “We had a good team balance in scoring.”

Murray has now led the Leopards in their last three conference outings, firing a squad-best 74 against Cal Lutheran Feb. 26 at Sterling Hills Golf Club and a 72 against Caltech Feb. 19 at Sierra La Verne, which topped freshman Nathan Logan by two strokes for the low Leopard number.

“Joey Murray has played exceptionally well,” Huigens said. “He’s been our most consistent player.”

Not only have Green and Murray battled back to re-claim their spots as premium Leopard golfers, Skovron pulled it together as well.

The senior recipient of last year’s Jesse Clark Sportsmanship Award as well as the lowest conference scoring average for the 2003 season ended up second overall individually in the Battle at the Lakes Feb. 26-28, a tournament ULV won as a team with a total of 586, comfortably ousting Cal State San Marcos by 10 shots and the University of San Diego by 13.

“We showed what we can be this weekend,” Skovron said.

Skovron’s 141 finished him two strokes back of freshman Aaron Goldberg of San Diego State on the par-71, 6,474- yard track.

“I just kind of went on adrenaline,” Skovron said. “I just was sniffing a win. I like that.”

Skovron had it to 3-under both days but dropped shots on the difficult stretch of finishing holes. He fired an even-par 71 the first day and came back with a 1-under 70 the second day after an early morning on the practice range.

“I just tried to work on some things while everyone was still asleep,” Skovron said.

The host Division I Aztecs, who as of Wednesday were ranked No. 49 in the nation among Division I schools, competed only as individuals.

Finishing seven rounds of golf in six days Tuesday, ULV is back on the track.

The Leopards left La Verne at 4:30 a.m. yesterday to host a 36-hole invitational in Beaumont, Calif., the host course for the 2004 National Tournament.

Huigens invited top Division III competition throughout the nation, to which everyone responded excitedly, Huigens said.

The teams played both courses. Results were unavailable at press time, but prior to the match, Huigens expressed his anticipations for the strong field.

“The winds are just going to be howling out there. The scores are going to be high,” he said.